Shuttle changing mechanism for ribbon making looms



May 2, 1961 G. M. v. J. cHouPlN SHUTTLE CHANGING MEcHANIsM FOR RIBBON MAKING LooMs Filed Nov. 7, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l J 2 1 Iw l w w www 9. 9

Mai 2 1951 G. M. v. J. cHouPlN 2,982,316

SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM FOR RIBBON MAKING LOOMS Filed NOV. 7, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1957 May 2, 1961 G. M. v. J. cHouPlN 2,982,316

SHUTTLE CHANGING MEGHANISM FOR RIBBON MAKING Looms 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 25 7F d @ii-"17 r a 1 f 5 l Il "III,

United States Patent SHUTTLE CHANGING MECHANISM FOR RIBBON MAKING LOOMS Gabriel Marcel Victor Joseph Choupin, 9 Rue de la Resistance, Saint-Etienne, France Filed Nev. 1, Y1957, sei. No. 694,969

Claims priority, application France Mar. 20, 17957 3 Claims; (Cl. 139-234) member forming a plunger so as to introduce into the shuttle body which is common to all the successive shuttles the front section of the spare shuttle which is located at the lower end of the stack while the front section of the exhausted shuttle which was operatively secured to said body is simultaneously ejected.

According to this prior arrangement, the front section of the spare shuttle located at the lower end of the stack is urged when it is to be made operative, by the lower end of the plunger, i.e. by the first tooth Iprovided on the latter so that this front section f the shuttle comes into contact with the front section which is exhausted and which still engages the shuttle body; said front section of the spare shuttle takes thus. the place of the operative frontsection under the action of a thru-st exerted directly on said front section of the operative shuttle.

` extending 'the plunger by a length which is slightly larger than the height of the front section of the shuttle, so thatl the `lirst tooth formed on the plunger may engage the gap between the front section of theoperative shuttle and that of the spare section located at the lower end of the stack, which results in that the front section of the operative shuttle lwhen exhausted is urged outwardly at the moment of a change no longer by the front section of the shuttle which is to replace it, but by the first tooth on the plunger, the front section of the shuttle which becomes now operative being urged forwardly by the second tooth of said plunger.

Thus, the plunger engages directly the shut-tle body and ensures firstly its centering in the case where said shuttle body is not located in an exactly axial position after which it ensures the ejection of thefron-t section of the shuttle when exhausted.

As to the frontsection of the shuttle which becomes now operative, it is urged forwardly as disclosedY hereinabove by the second tooth of the plunger and it is held in position on the shuttle body, when the plunger rises again, through the elastic engagement between said section and said body.

This manner of controlling the shuttle change through the end of the plunger provides furthermore the advantage consisting in that the front sections ofY the shuttles need not be` given accurately equall thicknesses.`

My improved arrangement is also highly advantageous the front section of the exhausted shuttle, insteadV of ICC being immediately removed, remains for someV time in waiting as described in the arrangement disclosed in the French Patent 1,089,046v of December 4, 1953. As a matter of fact, in this case, instead of the front section of the exhausted shuttle shifted by the first spare front section ejecting directly through impact thereon the empty front section of the shuttle in the waiting position, there is no longer at the moment of a change any other direct contact between front sections beyond that between the front of the shuttle which has just been replaced and that which is awaiting its ejection.

Furthermore, according to a more particularly advantageous arrangement, the plunger executes a stroke which is slightly larger than that which would be required for ensuring the operative positioning of a spare front shuttle section on the shuttle body whereby the plunger when it recedes leaves in position on its support the front shuttle section awaiting ejection Whereas that which has just been positioned in registry with the shuttle body is subjected to a slight rising movement until the elastic locking means are engaged, to ensure the desired spacing betweenY the front section of the shuttle which is awaiting its ejection and that whichl is now operative.

According to a further improvement forming the ob.-v

jecting. of my invention, the Whole shuttle change system is removably secured to the plate of the bat-ten so as, to form a magazine of spares which may be taken off when it is empty and be instantaneously replaced by another magazine which has been previously fitted with spare shuttles.

My invention will be readily understood from the following disclosure, reference being made `to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings given solely by way of exemplication and corresponding to the case of its application to a shuttle change system including an auxiliary support ort-which the front section of the exhausted shuttle remains lying for some time before it is ejected. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional lateral View of the improved arrangement for the normal operative position of the loom.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but at the beginning of the downward movement of the plunger at the moment at which a change ofshuttle occurs. l

Fig. 3 illustrating this change at the end of the do ward movement 'of the plunger is a cross-section passing through one of the cooperating members elastically connecting the front of the shuttle with the shuttle body.

Fig. 4 illustrates the moment at which the plunger rises again.

Figs. 5 to 8 relate to the case of a removable magazine, Fig. 5 showing in front view the frame of the loom without the magazine and Fig. 6 showing this magazine, also in front view.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional View Vof said magazine p through line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a lateral sectional View of the magazine mounted on its carrier plate.

As in the case of the French Patents 1,025,424 and 1,089,046 referred to hereinabove, a plunger 2 slidingly carried by the plate of the loom is adapted at the moment at which the change is to be produced to assume tirs-t -a downward movement and then a rising movement along the slideway 3. Said plunger includes a succession 0f teeth 4a, 4b, 4c allowing it during its downward movement to exert a downward thrust on the front shuttle sections 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. which are also guided by the slideway 3.

Furthermore, the shuttle body is shown at 9" and the support on which the front section ofthe exhausted shutnates the front shuttle section which is operative and consequently engages the cooperating body 9, and 7 designates the spare front shuttle section located at the lower end of the magazine and which is now the rst to become operative. Y l

. Each front shuttle section is provided with at least one recess 12 (Figs. 3 and 4) cooperating selectively with one of two spring-urged balls forming detents or catches and carried respectively, ball 13y by the shuttle body 9 and ball 14 by the lower support 10.

In Figs. 3 and 4, 15 designates stationary catches forming retaining members for the front shuttle sections when the plunger is returned upwardly. Y Y

According to the chief featureof my invention, the plunger 2 extends downwardly beyond the first spare front shuttle section 7 located at the lower end of the magazine stack and the iirst tooth 4a of said plunger is located underneath said spare front section (Fig. l).

Thus, at the moment at which the weft in the operative front shuttle section 6 is about to be exhausted, the different stages of the shuttle change movement are executed as follows:

(a) At the beginning of the downward movement of the plunger 2, the end of the latter engages first the cooperating upper opening in the shuttle body 9 and ensures the proper centering and framing of the latter at the same time as it holds it fast (Fig. 2).

(b) The downward movement of the plunger continuing, its first tooth 4a pushes out the front section 6 of the exhausted shuttle engaging the shuttle body while 'the next front shuttle section '7 is pushed by the second tooth 4b and consequently engages in its tum the shuttle body and all the other spare shuttles 8, are pushed Vdownwardly by the other teeth 4c,v. at the same time, said front shuttle section 6 which has disengaged the shuttle body comes into contact with the front section and drives it downwardly so as to take its place `(Fig. 2).

e t (c) At the end of the downward movement of the plunger 2. the front section 5 is ejected and that 6 urged by the `first notch 4a of the plunger has taken its position through engagement with the support as provided by the spring urged balls 14. The front section 7 urged by the second notch 4b is now in complete registry with the shuttle body 9 but has moved slightly beyond its iinal position; lastly a further spare front section 8 has entered 'a position at the lower end of the magazine (Fig. 3).

(d) The plunger 2 rises again so as to return into its inoperative position of Fig. 1 and at the beginning of this rising movement, the front shuttle section 7 registering with the shuttle body also rises, but only to a slight extent until it engages said body elastically at 13.

It should be remarked that, in accordance with an already known arrangement, the plunger is subjected to `the thrust of springs which allow it when it rises to collapse through a receding movement at the moment of the passage of its series of teeth 4a, 4b, 4c, in registry with front shuttle sections which are themselves prevented from rising by the stationary spring catches 15.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, the slideway 3 carrying the plunger 2, the springs 16 and the retaining catches 15' are removable with reference to the plate 17 forming the loom hatten so as to constitute a magazine system which may be removed very easily from the loom when it is empty and which may be replaced as easily and speedily by another magazine system which has been previously filled.

To this end, the slideway 3 is provided with the crosssectional outline illustrated in Fig. 7 so that it may be disposed in the space between the guiding bars 18 (Fig. 5) provided on the plate 17 (Fig. 5) and it is secured to said plate at its lower end by means of a notch 19 engaging behind the head of a stud 20 and at its upper end by means of two openings 21 and 22 (Figs. `6 and 7) which freely removably receive two studs 23 and 24 (Fig. 5)

4 and the head of a latch member 25 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 27. The latch member 25 is yieldingly urged into locking-position by a leaf spring 26.

To remove the magazine system, it is therefore sufiicient to exert a downward pressure on the head of the latch member 25, to release the magazine so that it may be tilted forwardly in the direction of the arrow 28. The magazine is then free of the studs 23 and 24, thereby permitting it to be raised so as to release the notch 19 with reference to the stud 20.

The re-positioning of a lled magazine is performed similarly through a reversed operation.

As to the control of the plunger 2, it is ensured by the provision in the plunger of a transverse bore 29 which is engaged by the projection 30 forming part of the conventional shuttle change control mechanism 31 (Fig. 5).

Obviously and as already apparent from the preceding disclosure, my invention is by no means limited to the sole embodiments disclosed hereinabove and it covers in 'contradistinction all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a shuttle change system for the change of front shuttle sections adapted to operatively engage in succession a common shuttle body which carries an operative front shuttle section, the combination of a magazine carrying a plurality of superposed spare front shuttle sections and registering at its lower end with the location of said shuttle body, an elongated slidable plunger extending longitudinally inside the magazine and mounted to the rear of the location of the spare front shuttle sections therein, a plurality of uniformly longitudinally spaced projections rigid with said plunger, said projections facing said location of the spare front shuttle sections and normally engaging the undersides of the corresponding superposed spare sections in the magazine, said plunger being adapted to be shifted downwardly out of an upper position for which the lowermost projection lies above the operative front shuttle section into a position for which said lowermost projection engages said operative section to provide for downward lmovement of the latter away from the shuttle body upon further downward shifting of the plunger, the next lowest projection of the plunger, when shifted downwardly, urging the lowermost spare front shuttle section into registry witlrthe shuttle body `for engagement therewith and 'the other projections urging the other spare shuttle sections into the next lower position inside the magazine.

2. In a shuttle change system lfor the change of front shuttle sections adapted to operatively engage in succession a common shuttle body which carries an operative front shuttle section, said body being Iprovided with detent means engaging the cooperating front section, the combination of a magazine carrying a plurality of superposed spare `front shuttle sections and registering at its lower end with the location of said shuttle body, a support rigid with the magazine and lying underneath the location of the shuttle body, said support including elastic means releasably engaging an exhausted 4front shuttle section urged ott the shuttle body, an elongated slidable plunger extending longitudinally inside the magazine and mounted to the rear of the location of the spare front shuttle sections therein, a plurality of longitudinally uniformly spaced projections rigid with said plunger, said projections facing said location of the spare front shuttle sections, and normally engaging the undersides of the corresponding superposed spare shuttle sections in the magazine, said plunger being adapted to be shifted downwardly out of an upper position for which the lowermost projection lies above the operative shuttle section into a position for which said lowermost projection engages said operative shuttle section to provide for downward movement of the latter away from the shuttle body into engagement with the detent means on the support upon further downward shifting of the plunger,` and therebyfor-ejection of the -rect operative position in register with the shuttle body, a

subsequent slight upward shifting ofthe plunger returning the said lowermost spare section into register with said shuttle body and engagement with said detent means at a small distance above the previously operative shuttle section now engaging the detent means on the support, `and the rfurther projections urging the other spare shuttle sections into the next lower position Yinside the magazine.

3. In a shuttle change system for the change of front shuttle sections adapted to operatively engage in succession a common shuttle body which carries an operative front shuttle section, the combination of a magazine carrying a plurality of superposed spare frontshuttle sections and registering at its lower end -with the location of said shuttle body, an elongated slidable plunger extending longitudinally inside the magazine and mounted to the rear of the locationV of' the spare front shuttle sections therein,

a plurality, of uniformly Vlongitudinally spaced projections,

rigid with said plunger, said projections yfacing said 1oca,

tion of the spare -front shuttle sections and normally en gaging the undersides of the corresponding superposed spare sections in the magazine, said plunger being adapted to be shifted downwardly out of an' upper position for which the lowermost p-rojection lies above the operative shuttle section into a position -for which said lowermost projection engages said operative shuttle section to provide for downward movement of the latter away from the shuttle body upon further downward shifting of the plunger, the next lowest projection of the plunger, when shifted downwardly, urging the lowermost spare shuttle section into registory with the shuttle body for engagev means removably securing the magazine to said support' ing means with the plunger extending therein.

References Cited in the le of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS France 4--..'. Ian. 2l, 1953 France ..vSept. 22, 1954v 

